Chapter 2

"I took it off," Emily said. "I made that ring myself. It's the proof of our love. Why did you take it off?" Samuel asked. Emily brushed it off with a made-up excuse. "I gained some weight recently, so it doesn't fit me anymore." At last, Samuel's expression improved. With a faint smile, he said, "In that case, I'll take it to a jewelry studio one day and get it resized." "We'll see." "By the way, what's that on the table?" Samuel asked in surprise as he pointed at the jewelry box on the table. "Is that a gift for me, Emmy?" "It is," Emily confirmed with a nod. The box contained a small piece of silver that was once her wedding ring. Meanwhile, Samuel was thrilled. "What's the occasion? I'm surprised that you prepared a gift for me out of the blue, Emmy." Emily's heart chilled even further. "Today's our wedding anniversary." Immediately, Samuel stiffened, his expression morphing into a grimace. His tone was almost placating as he attempted to coax Emily. "I'm sorry, Emmy. I've been too busy with work. Why don't we head out for dinner tonight? I'll get us a reservation right away." "It's fine. I've already eaten." "Why don't I take you out for a spin then? We can have a stroll by the river." "I'm tired. I want to sleep." Samuel hugged Emily from behind appeasingly and said, "Come on, Emmy. Let's go. It's been ages since we took a stroll together. I keep feeling that you've been a bit distant from me lately. If this continues, I'm going to start thinking that you've fallen out of love with me." Was Emily the one who had fallen out of love? Clearly, Samuel was the one who sought the company of another woman. He was the one who betrayed her first. And now, she was going to extract both her heart and herself from his life. While driving to the river, Samuel kept chatting away with a smile as he filled Emily in on all the latest happenings. Emily, who was sitting on the front passenger seat, stared out the window and ignored what he said. Earlier, when she was putting on her seatbelt, she found a pair of women's stockings stuffed down the side of the seat. They were clearly worn. Nevertheless, she'd shoved them back down and pretended like nothing happened. Since she had decided to leave, she didn't want to bother arguing with him about anything. After all, she wouldn't get anything more than a handful of worthless lies. She wasn't going to waste her time on a meaningless pursuit over something she couldn't get. When they got to the river, Samuel got out of the car first and opened the door for Emily. "We're here, Emmy." Emily didn't want to come, but they'd frequented this river a lot when they first started dating. As this was where it all began, she figured this river could mark the end as well. "Whoa! Isn't that Samuel Porter, the CEO who was interviewed on television today? He's the one who made his own wedding ring!" "I remember that! He's the perfect man!" "Look. He even held his hand against the roof of the car to make sure his wife wouldn't bump her head against it. He's so thoughtful!" Just then, Samuel's phone rang. "Sorry about this, Emmy. Give me a moment," he said apologetically. "This is about work. Let me just deal with this, and I'll be right back." "Go ahead." "Wait for me here. Don't run around by yourself, okay?" Unsurprisingly, the passersby began squealing in envy once more. "Mr. Porter treats his wife like a princess! He's even afraid she might get lost without him." "He dotes on her so much." Emily was the only one whose expression remained stoic the whole time. She stood by the river and stared at the rippling water that glistened beneath the night sky. Samuel couldn't hide the smile on his face when he saw who had texted him. It was a smile of adoration mixed with a hint of mischief, so how could it possibly have been work-related? She simply couldn't be bothered to expose him. It was getting chilly by the river, so Emily decided to wait for Samuel in the car. His phone was still hooked up to the car's display screen, and she could see his messages. He was talking to someone named "Greedy Kitty Jessie". Samuel: "Miss me?" Greedy Kitty Jessie: "I feel empty on nights when you're not with me." Samuel: "You little vixen. I gave it to you seven times already today. Are you still not satisfied?" Greedy Kitty Jessie: "It's not enough, Sammy. I want more." Samuel: "Fine. Wait till we get to work tomorrow. We'll do it in the office until you're satisfied." Greedy Kitty Jessie: "In that case, I'll wear a pair of black stockings tomorrow." The rest of their conversation became even more repulsive to the eye, filled with flirty seductions and perverse descriptions. Feeling chilled to the bone, Emily turned the screen off. She was trembling, though she couldn't tell if that was due to the cold or her anger. Her fingernails dug deep into her flesh. About 15 minutes later, Samuel came back. After getting into the car, he exhaled in relief. "You gave me such a fright. I looked around for you when I got off the phone, but you were nowhere to be found. Thank goodness you're alright." Emily no longer wanted to even look at his facade, so she kept her eyes fixed on her hands while she replied, "It was getting cold outside, so I came back into the car." "Sure. Anywhere is fine, as long as you're happy." Emily abruptly lifted her head. After seeing Samuel's and Jessica's messages, the words he just said took on a different meaning. Anywhere was fine, as long as she was happy. She recalled the pair of stockings stuffed between the car seats. Did that mean Samuel and Jessica had sex on the front passenger seat, too? Struck with a sudden wave of disgust, Emily opened the car door and vomited.